Second Chances
by Meowzy-chan
Summary: After having announced he will be leaving with DerrisKharlan, Kratos finds Yuan in a bar, getting drunk. Then, Yuan unconsciously says something he shouldn't have. [YxK]
1. Mistakes

Tales of Symphonia, second chances.

((A/N: Meowzy here, with yet another YxK fanfic! Some say I'm obsessed... Ehehehe. Eheheh. AHAHAHAH!  
-_clears throat_-  
So anyway, I warn you all about YuanxKratos stuff, implied lemon, and perhaps a reference to ZelosxLloyd later on. Mayhaps a bit of cursing too. Uhmm... I don't own Tales of Symphonia, or the characters! Also, reviews are very much appreciated!

Well, Crimsonrose? Are you _happy_ now?))

* * *

Coughing slightly, I entered the run-down cafe near Altamira, where I was sure I'd find Yuan. My old friend had just run off when he found out I'd be leaving with Derris-Kharlan, and I knew he had a tendency to get a drink whenever he was upset. I discovered I was right, as I soon spotted him sitting by the bar, holding his head in one hand, and a glass of wine in the other. 

Waving a hand at the veil of smoke that came from other customers, I approached him. At the sound of my footsteps, he looked up sharply. His eyes seemed red, and slightly glazed over.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he demanded. It was almost like growl. Only a bit more tired sounding.

"Checking up on you. You didn't have to take off like that." I responded, taking a seat on the stool next to Yuan. A strong scent of alcohol surrounded him. How many drinks had he had already?

"Why not? It's obvious you don't want to be around me anymore." He took a quick sip of his wine, before placing the glass on the counter, and staring blankly ahead.

"Yuan, I have to do this. I thought you of all people would understand." I sighed. Why was he so upset to see me leave? After all that happened, I was sure that he hated me.

"Tch. Why not send that stupid chosen to Derris-Kharlan instead? Maybe he'd finally make himself useful." Yuan snorted, and took another gulp of wine.

"Why do you want me to stay so much?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"I never said anything like that."

"Then tell me what's on your mind." I said gently, watching him drain his glass and wave at the bartender for a refill.

"I can't." he replied shortly.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm still gathering up the courage to tell you how I feel about you."

Yuan didn't seem to notice the fact that he'd just said something odd. He must've been completely out of it. Watching him accept his refill, I felt my curiosity rise a bit more. Maybe I could take advantage of this.

"How you feel about me?" I enquired innocently.

"Yes. How I _feel_ about you." He repeated, sounding mildly irritated. "That I love you."

I suddenly felt my heart shoot upwards, into my throat. Did I mishear that? No, it couldn't be. My angelic hearing never failed me, even in a crowded bar.

"Why would you need to gather up courage for that?"

"Because the chances that you'd laugh at me are very big. Because of that… human woman." Yuan put the glass to his lips again, trying to drink away his sorrow.

"Anna." I said absentmindedly.

"Fifteen years ago, I figured I'd lost my chance. You got a family. I'd waited too long." He whispered. "So that's why I'm probably never gonna tell."

This couldn't be happening. I had already decided to leave this planet, and all of the bad memories that accompanied it, behind, and now Yuan told me that he loved me. Though he didn't mean to do so. The alcohol had gotten to his head.

This left me in quite a predicament. Afterall, I figured that it would be best to leave, because I loved my old friend, and thought he didn't feel the same way. I figured it would be best to run from my feelings, because I was scared they wouldn't be answered. And now I knew that they would be. Though… Would Yuan admit that he loved me when he was sober?

"What if you got a second chance? What if… hypothetically, I was only with Anna because I was tired of waiting for you to make a move?" I asked, resting my head on one hand and casting an inquiring look at the man besides me.

"Really? A second chance? Hmm… That'd be nice." Yuan closed his eyes blissfully, his mind wandering off.

I was lucky Yuan would probably be too wasted to remember any of this in the morning. Though I felt sorry for him, thinking of the huge hangover he would have. He always regretted drinking the next day.

"I think you should go home." I said, getting to my feet. I'd gotten all the information I wanted out of him, and felt like I should try to keep him from doing any more harm. To himself, and to me.

"But I've still got some… drink." He slurred, pointing at his half-full glass of wine.

"Leave it." I said, a commanding tone in my voice. Yuan shrugged, and got up from his barstool. I had to swiftly extend my arms to catch him, or he would've fallen face-first on the floor.

"Ugh… Funky." He muttered, as I tried to get him to stand up straight.

"How many drinks did you have?" I'd finally asked the question that was on my mind since I entered the bar.

"I dunno. Nine… Maybe ten." He replied, thinking deeply.

I sighed heavily. Yes, he obviously was extremely wasted. And in this state, he wouldn't be able to get home by himself.

"Let's get you a hotel room." I said, pulling his arm around my shoulder and almost carrying him away.

"Hey, what about the bill?" the bartender shouted after us.

"Put it on the tab!" I replied, before dragging my friend out the door.

* * *

"You have got to be kidding!" I roared, after being told that there was only room available at Altamira's hotel. It was a so-called 'love-suite'. 

"I'm sorry sir, but it's holiday season. All the other rooms have already been booked." The receptionist replied, slightly intimidated by the way I'd shouted at her.

"Is it not possible to add another bed?" I demanded. Afterall, I needed a place to sleep too, and there was no way I'd be sharing a bed with Yuan.

"No. I'm very sorry, but the hotel policies state that-"

"I do not care about hotel policies." I grunted, before turning back to Yuan. He was leaning on a railing, staring blankly at the indoor pond. It looked like I didn't have any other choice. "I'll take the damn suite."

"Very good, sir. We hope you enjoy your stay." The receptionist said, holding out a key.

"Hmph." I snatched the key from her hand, before stomping off, grabbing Yuan by his arm, and leading him to the elevator.

* * *

Groaning irritably at the sight of this so-called 'love-suite', I helped my friend into the room, and undid his cloak before pushing him down on the bed. 

"Get undressed. I'm taking the couch." I grunted, before turning to a rather poofy, violet couch.

I'd just taken off my own cloak, when I heard something fall to the ground with a clunk, and Yuan cursing loudly. Whirling around again, I saw that he'd dropped his chest armour on his foot, and was now hopping up and down on the other, shouting random obscenities. It caused me to smile lightly. He truly was a bit helpless without me.

"Are you okay?" I asked, tilting my head slightly, causing locks of auburn hair to fall across my face.

Yuan immediately stopped hopping around, and stared at me with an almost curious expression.

"Kratos, come here."

"Hm?" Shrugging lightly, I approached the man, and stopped a few feet in front of him.

"No, closer." He whispered, smiling faintly.

"_What_?" Getting slightly annoyed, I took another step forward.

Suddenly, Yuan wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my chest. "Why won't you stay? I need you."

"Y-Yuan?" An overwhelming feeling rushed through my body, as I felt my face grow hot. What was he doing? I knew I should've tried to push him off me, but… I didn't.

"I need you, _now_." He whispered, pushing closer against my body. I was sure that by now my face was as red as a tomato.

"Yuan, stop this. It's the alcohol talking." I told him. And I told that to myself too. There was no way Yuan would say this. And I shouldn't take advantage of a situation like this. It was wrong, right?

"Can't you see that I care about you? Foolish human." He glanced up at me with wide, emerald eyes. The alcohol that still lingered on his breath was intoxicating.

"Yuan, let go of- Mph!" I was suddenly cut off, when Yuan straightened up to claim my lips in a kiss. I instantly froze in shock, unsure of what to do. I tried to convince myself that it was wrong, but it wasn't working. Afterall, I loved him, and he loved me. Didn't that make it a good thing?

Not thinking clearly anymore, I opened my mouth to deepen the kiss. At the same time, I ran a hand through Yuan's soft, blue hair. He moaned slightly, to show that he enjoyed that. It wasn't long until we'd both taken off our shirts, and Yuan started to kiss my bare neck passionately.

Suddenly, I was overtaken by a feeling I hadn't had in years. Pure lust. It seemed that Yuan noticed, as he suddenly turned me around, and shoved me onto the bed. I barely had time to sit up, before he'd crawled on top of me, trying to remove one of my belts.

"Y-Yuan!" I gasped. If it was possible to blush even more, I would've.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." He whispered assuringly. And though I extremely doubted that he did, I let him have his way with me anyway.

It wasn't until an hour later, when Yuan was fast asleep in my arms, that I snapped back to my senses. I'd made a gruesome mistake. And I'd have to get rid of the evidence. Yuan should never find out what had happened.

* * *

((... Err... Yeah. Heheh... Oh boy, would you look at the time! -_flees_-)) 


	2. Lies

Tales of Symphonia, second chances.

((A/N: Wow... 10 reviews! And that was just the first chapter too! Thank you all sooo much! I'll reply to a few of you.  
**Sesshy is sexii:** Yup, I always end chapters in an evil way. Because I'm evil like that.  
**Crystal Adept:** I guess I forgot to mention that I was going to continue... Well, now you know!  
**Hi:** A weird feeling? Are you sure you're not secretly enjoying it? XD  
**Katraa:** Really? I've grown? Thank you so much! Hearing that from you is _such_ a compliment!  
**Sheik:** Your review interested me the most, actually. See, I normally go for Kratos the seme and Yuan the uke too. It's hard for me to imagine Yuan as the seme, unless he's either tied Kratos to a bed, or is really drunk. (which is the cause here). However, I had to get Yuan to be the seme here, to make the story work.

Enjoy the next chapter! And... Don't hurt me afterwards...))

* * *

Chapter 2 

"Kratos."

Ah great. I was just having a nice dream, when a voice threatened to bring me back to reality. Suppressing a grunting snore, I rolled over on my side, and weakly waved a hand at whoever was bothering me.

"Kratos, wake up."

The voice was familiar. But who was it? Hmm…

"Wake up, or I'll be forced to use an indignation spell."

Oh, right! Yuan!

My eyes snapped open, immediately staring into a large, frilly hotelroom. Yuan was standing in front of me, already fully dressed and wearing an impatient expression. His arms were crossed across his chest in that usual gloomy way. Though it was still pretty obvious he was incredibly hung over.

"Would you mind explaining?" he demanded, referring to the hotelroom.

"Uh… Yeah…" I sat up with a yawn, stretching my muscles. No matter how poofy the couch, it still caused cramp throughout my body. "I'm not sure if you remember, but you got incredibly drunk last night." I started, trying to smile in a slightly sadistic way. I had to seem amused by it.

"Oh really? You'd think the hangover would tell me that much." Yuan tapped his foot in an annoyed way.

"In fact, by the end of the evening, you were so wasted, you couldn't even walk properly. Since I had to get a hotelroom anyway, I thought we could share one." I continued, ignoring his comment.

"So you got _this_ one?"

"The selection wasn't very… wide." I frowned slightly, before yawning again.

"So, let me get this straight. You dragged me all the way from the bar to the hotel, and then let me have the bed, forcing you to sleep on an uncomfortable couch?" Yuan summed up.

"That seems about right." I nodded faintly. And ofcourse, I'd conveniently left out the little 'incident', that resulted in both of us taking off our clothes, and making sweet, sweet love.

"I see. Then it seems I am in your debt." Yuan sighed helplessly, and sat down beside me, the couch sagging slightly under our weight.

"Ah? No, you don't owe me anything. It's what friends do." I said softly.

"Friends, huh?" Yuan stared faintly at the floor. I wondered what was going through his mind right now. Did he really struggle with the fact that he was afraid to confess his feelings for me?

"Well, atleast let me pay for the hotelroom." He spoke sharply.

"Only if you insist." I replied, shrugging lightly.

"I _do_ insist." Yuan got to his feet again, still looking away. "It seems it's the only thing I can do for you before you leave."

My heart stopped for a second, as I was reminded of his words from the previous evening. He wanted me to stay, because he needed me. Because he loved me. But… I couldn't. And I was leaving tomorrow. The only thing I could do, was make our last day as pleasant as possible.

"Ah, Lloyd invited me to go to the themepark at Altamira today. It seems everyone is going, and it will be a bit of a farewell party. Would you care to… join us?" I asked, looking up at him with a gentle smile.

"… Perhaps." Was his curt reply.

A long silence followed, as we were both at loss for words. It seemed that after what I'd learned last night, I noticed more and more that Yuan was suffering on the inside. And he tried so hard to hide it, too.

"Well, hurry up and get dressed. We could still get some breakfast at the restaurant before we leave." He suggested, smiling at me.

"Ah, okay." I got to my feet too, and grabbed the pile of clothes that was lying next to the couch. I was only wearing my pants and a shirt right now. Naturally, I'd pulled them on in a hurry in the middle of the night.

* * *

Half an hour later, we were both sitting at a table on the third floor of the hotel, staring faintly at a menu. Yuan had already handed over the room key at the reception, while I went ahead to find a table. I was sure he hadn't noticed anything suspicious. That I might be able to get away with it. Until… 

"Kratos?" Yuan asked suddenly, looking up from the menu.

"Hm?"

"What exactly happened yesterday?"

"What?" I glanced up from my menu too, to see a stern expression on my friend's face. "I told you. You got drunk."

"Yes, but… Afterwards."

"Afterwards?" I repeated blankly.

Odd how I managed to trick a group of five people into believing I was a mercenary, but couldn't even pretend like nothing out of the ordinary had happened in one night. Then again, Yuan could probably see right through me. He knew me way too long.

"I'm not stupid, Kratos." He snapped.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Maybe I shouldn't have tried to hide it so hard. Afterall, it only seemed to tick Yuan off even more.

"Honestly." He scoffed faintly, brushing some stray hair out of his face. "You've been acting odd ever since this morning."

I stayed silent, watching him turn angrier by the second. It seemed that even now, I was giving off waves of 'suspicious'. He didn't dare to look at me anymore, and stared coldly at the table.

"I noticed you limping this morning. And I discovered marks on my shoulders, that indicated that someone had dug their fingernails into them." He continued, his voice shaking slightly. Was it rage? Or…

Well, one couldn't make love without leaving _some_ physical marks. But it was mostly because of my own carelessness.

"And then there's this." Yuan reached into his pocket, and pulled out a piece of paper. He unfolded it, and held it out to me.

"What is it?" I asked, accepting it and staring at it with a blank expression.

"The bill." He responded coldly. "It seemed I had to pay extra for new blankets, and extensive cleaning of the old ones."

Ah… Oops. As if it wasn't embarrassing enough to call room service in the middle of the night for something like that… I placed the bill on the table again, not meeting his eye.

"See, I spilled some cof-" I began, saying the first excuse that popped into my mind. But I was quickly cut off.

"The receptionist asked me if I had a good time with my _boyfriend_." Yuan said sharply, finally looking directly into my eyes.

By now my stomach had dropped faster than humanly possible. There was no way out of this one, was there? I had been caught red-handed. And Yuan didn't seem too pleased with it.

"Yuan, I…" Stuttering, I looked away. What was left to say at this point?

"You what?" he demanded loudly, causing several people to look up.

Right now, I had two options. I could either tell him how I felt, and hope he would admit his own feelings too. Or I could lie.

"The thing is… I had a few drinks myself too." I began, putting together a short story in my mind. "One thing led to the other, and… We ended up sleeping together. I'm not going to deny it. I tried to hide it from you because I am… ashamed of what happened. It was a mistake, and… it meant nothing to me."

Trying to keep a determined posture, I dared a glance at him. The expression on his face was soon burned into my memory. It was undecipherable, yet sad at the same time. I almost felt like I'd committed a sin. But, what choice did I have? If I told him how I felt, only to leave with Derris-Kharlan the next day, he would be living the rest of his days in misery. Then it was better to make him hate me, right?

"I see." Yuan placed his hands on the table and pushed himself to his feet, turning to leave.

"You're not going to have any breakfast?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No. I just remembered I have things to do. Have fun at the theme park." He said shortly, before striding off.

I watched him go, a strange feeling nagging at the pit of my stomach. The only thing I could do now was try to convince myself I'd done the right thing.

* * *

((Heheh... Kratos was limping... Heheheheh... ... Okay, that probably wasn't funny. But still.)) 


	3. Doubts

Tales of Symphonia, second chances.

((A/N: One review? OO  
Well, I guess I uploaded the second chapter a bit soon... Ohwell. Enjoy!))

* * *

Chapter 3 

Carrying a gloomy feeling in my stomach, I departed for the themepark to meet Lloyd and his friends. More and more I started to doubt whether I'd done the right thing. I wondered what would've happened if I'd told Yuan the truth. But I've grown almost accustomed to lying. I had to do it many times during my travels.

"Kratos! Glad you could make it!" Colette called the second I arrived.

It seemed the others were already gathered there. Lloyd cast me a nervous glance, but greeted me anyway. It seemed it was still awkward for him to be around me. It was the same for most of the others.

"Is everyone present?" I asked, observing the group. Ofcourse I knew that everyone was there, but I had to make conversation somehow, right?

"Yes. So let's get going!" Lloyd said, leading everyone into the park. Even now, he still enjoyed playing the leader. And the others followed him without questioning.

"What should we do first?" Sheena pondered aloud, staring at all the attractions.

"How about the teacups?" Genis suggested, smirking slightly. "Raine always gets sick in those."

"It's not my fault I have a sensitive stomach!" Raine shouted at him, slapping him on the back of the head. Everyone looked away nervously.

"Oh! I know! Let's go on the ferris-wheel!" Lloyd called cheerfully.

"Great idea Lloyd!" Colette agreed, wearing that trademark smile of hers.

"I'm sharing a booth with my favourite hunny!" Zelos immediately put his arms around Lloyd, who blushed furiously.

"Y-yeah, okay." The boy stuttered.

Ah… Young love. I felt a small smile creep its way onto my face. After I'd leave with Derris-Kharlan tomorrow, Lloyd and Zelos were going to travel around the world to gather exspheres. Though I wasn't quite sure whether Zelos had actually agreed to go because he wanted to make the world a better place... But I knew that he cared for my son, so I had no objections.

* * *

Soon, everyone except Regal had stepped into the ferris-wheel. The man decided to stay on the ground, since we were an uneven number. I had argued many times that he should take my place, but everyone insisted that some 'healthy fun' would be good for me. So I was stuck sharing a booth with the former chosen of Sylvarant. Lucky for me, the girl didn't hold grudges. She was just as selfless and cheerful as the day we left on the journey of Regeneration. 

"This view is wonderful, don't you think?" She asked with an excited smile.

"Hm." Was all I said, as I stared blankly out the window. The sunlight was dancing playfully along the ocean, glittering brightly.

"Aren't you going to miss this place?" Colette continued, trying not to be phased by my silence.

"Probably. It is my home, afterall." I still didn't bother to take my eyes off distant horizon.

"You need to make sure that you've packed everything." The girl pondered.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Because if you forget something, you'd never be able to come back for it. That'd be horrible."

"Yes. I suppose it would be." I muttered softly.

If I didn't tell Yuan how I felt before I left, he'd never find out. And if I came to regret it later on, I'd never be able to rectify that mistake. I'd have to live with it for eternity. Just like now, Yuan would live for eternity with the thought that I hated him. Could I really do that to him?

* * *

As the day passed, I started to doubt my decision more and more. Normally, I would never question myself. I was unshakeable. Amazing, what love could do to a person. 

Going against my own principles, I decided to ask for advice. From the most unlikely person.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Zelos asked, slightly confused after I'd requested to talk to him away from the others.

"I am in need of some… advice." I stated slowly. Afterall, if anyone knew about love ones, and leaving them, it was Zelos Wilder.

"Oh really? The _great_ Kratos Aurion seeks advice from little old me?" A wide grin suddenly appeared on the ex-chosen's face.

"Hm…" I crossed my arms impatiently, making sure to frown at him as much as possible.

"Okay, okay. I'm listening." Zelos said, though his smirk only faded a little.

"Keep in mind that this information stays between you and me." I growled.

Zelos nodded, but I could sense that his curiosity was only growing.

"Let's say that you love someone, and you happen to know that person feels the same way about you. But you'll probably never see him again, and you don't want to hurt his feelings… What would be the right course of action?" I was starting to wonder whether it was a good idea to ask _Zelos_ for help. The man seemed greatly amused.

"This is about Yuan, isn't it?" he asked, still grinning.

"What makes you say that?" I asked, trying to maintain my posture.

"I have a sixth sense for these sort of things." Zelos ran a hand through his long hair in a faint attempt to appear impressive.

"Hmm." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"So basically, you're wondering if you should tell him how you feel before you leave?" he concluded.

I nodded shortly, not noticing I was biting down on my bottom lip expectantly.

"Well, it's up to you whether you tell him or not. But since you came to _me_ for advice, it means you must have a very hard time deciding yourself." He continued. Damn, he was good.

"So, what would _you_ do?" I asked, anxious to round up this conversation as soon as possible.

"What _I_'d do is not important. Afterall, I've only truly loved one person. And I don't intend to leave him." Zelos cast a quick glance at Lloyd, who was hopping up and down in front of the cotton-candy stand excitedly.

"I don't have a choice." I grunted.

"I know. Which is why I'll tell you this. If you leave without telling him, Yuan will be miserable for the rest of his life. He might even turn out so lonely, he'd do something drastic."

My heart sank as I visualised Yuan all alone in his office, holding a knife in one hand, and staring at his wrist. It was one of the most frightening things I'd ever imagined.

"Wouldn't the same thing happen if I _did_ tell him?" I questioned.

"Maybe. But then again, it might give him hope." Zelos shrugged. "And besides, he deserves to know doesn't he?"

"Yes... He does." I admitted, casting a stray glance at the ground. Then, a thought hit me. "You used to spy for the Renegades, right?"

"Huh? Yeah. So?" Zelos tilted his head slightly, a bit confused at the sudden change of subject.

"Can you still contact Yuan?"

"I think so." He replied, frowning a bit.

"Tell him to meet me at the ruins of the tower of Salvation tomorrow, before I leave." I said, turning away. "And remember, this conversation stays-"

"-Between you and me. I know." Zelos grinned again, and followed me to join the rest of the group.

* * *

((Is it strange that I found the conversation between Zelos and Kratos cute? Well, theynever reallytalk to each other in the game, ('cept maybe during the Iselia ranch thing) so how they'd react to each other was mostly guessing. And now I have a nagging feeling Kratos was a bit OOC! -_sob_-)) 


	4. Battles

Tales of Symphonia, second chances.

((A/N: Sorry this chapter took me so long! It took me about a week to get it finished, and then I couldn't even upload it. Well, I'm glad the site is fixed now. And I got 11 reviews! Wow... Thanks everyone! I hope you'll all get to read this chapter too.))

* * *

Chapter 4 

Morning arrived sooner than I'd expected. And even though Lloyd and his friends had tried so hard to exhaust me with their 'themepark fun', I hadn't gotten any sleep at all. I'd just lain in bed, staring at the ceiling, and wondering what to say to Yuan. But by sunrise, I still hadn't worked it out.

"So, you're really leaving huh?" Lloyd asked, as we stood in front of the Tower of Salvation. Derris-Kharlan hung gloomily above us, ready to depart.

"Yes. If an angel of Cruxis remains here, the other half-elves will have no place to live. I must bear my responsibilities as a seraph." I spoke calmly. Though my eyes nervously shifted about, taking in my surroundings. The only ones here were Lloyd, Zelos, Sheena and Colette. Raine and Genis had already departed on their own journey, and Regal and Presea had left for Altamira. But… Where was Yuan?

"Zelos and me are going to go on our journey to gather the exspheres soon." Lloyd said happily, not noticing anything.

"Then I shall discard all of Derris-Kharlan's exspheres into outer space, to make sure nobody can use them again." I added with a faint smile.

Yuan had gotten the message, hadn't he? Judging from the look on Zelos' face, he had. The former chosen was also glancing around occasionally, wearing a slight frown.

"Lloyd, take this." I unsheathed my trusty Flambergé, and held it out. Lloyd stared at it, obviously dumbstruck.

"But, this is-"

"Where I'm going, I won't need it anymore. And besides, it is a part of the Eternal sword now." I pushed the sword into Lloyd's hands. For me, the Flambergé was a symbol for what I was leaving behind. Endless battles… Needless sacrifices… Wars that scarred a person's soul.

"Very well." Lloyd accepted it, and unsheathed the sword made by his dwarven father. He held them both up, and the Eternal sword was formed in a flash of light. "Are you ready to go?"

"…" I cast another glance around, but Yuan was nowhere to be seen. From this, I could only conclude he was not coming. He was probably still angry about what I had said. It pained me that I would never seen him again. That I couldn't even say goodbye. But… perhaps it was better this way afterall.

"Yes." I muttered. For a second my eyes met with Zelos'. He seemed slightly annoyed that I was giving up like that.

"Alright." Lloyd raised the Eternal sword above his head. It started to shine brightly. "Goodbye… dad."

A flash of light blinded me, and a tingling sensation rushed through my body as I was sent to Derris-Kharlan. Away from my homeland, forever.

"Don't die before I do, Lloyd. My son."

* * *

The light subsided as quickly as it came, causing my eyes to take some time to adapt to the sudden darkness of Derris-Kharlan. This was going to be a _long_ eternity. Letting out a sigh, I decided to make my way to Welgaia. There was no point in standing around aimlessly, mourning over my loss. 

Just as I entered Welgaia, I felt a sudden shock, almost knocking me off my feet. Derris-Kharlan had started moving. After four-thousand years, it had finally left the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla again, to start another journey through the endless universe.

My eyes fell on an angel, that was floating blankly in the centre of one of the platforms. Aside from that, it wasn't doing anything. Just… floating. How peculiar. My curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to check it out.

"State your name and designation." The angel droned, as I stood in front of him. This surprised me. Normally, the lifeless beings were never so robotic.

"Kratos Aurion, one of the four Seraphim of Cruxis." I replied, crossing my arms.

"Error." The angel spoke harshly, drawing a weapon. "Destroy intruders."

I immediately reached for my sword, only to realize with a shock that I didn't have one. I'd left it behind, afterall.

"Damn!" I hopped back to avoid the angel's blade, and turned around to see that only more were approaching. Deciding it would be best to flee, I took off at a run. The lifeless beings followed, as their numbers kept increasing. What the hell was wrong with them? Normally, they were never aggressive. And they knew better than to attack their superiors.

Speeding over the Mana-powered escalators, and occasionally using a magic spell to delay my pursuers, I soon found myself at the main Welgaia square. The angels that still lingered there immediately turned to face me, drawing a weapon. I stopped in my tracks, summoning a lightning attack. As the angels were knocked off their feet, I ran past them, heading for the building on the other side of the square. If I could only get to the weapon storage…

"Destroy intruders." More angels descended in front of me, blocking the door to the storage building. Cursing loudly, I jumped to the side to avoid a magic attack, and smashed into a wall. The beings immediately crowded around me. I was surrounded. And it seemed like all the angels from Welgaia had gathered here. There must've been hundreds of them. Still, I wasn't going to give up without a fight.

"Grave!" I roared, causing the ground to shoot up and knock several angels off their feet. But the gap was immediately closed by their companions.

"Eruption!" Even more angels dropped to the floor. But it simply wasn't enough. And I already felt myself growing tired.

"Lightning!" My breathing was starting to turn harsh, and I could almost feel the sweat rolling down my face. Still, the enemies kept closing the gaps I created. Ready to strike.

By now, I was so exhausted, I couldn't avoid the arrow that seemed to come out of nowhere. It struck me directly in the shoulder. Screaming in pain, I fell to the ground. The angels soon loomed over me. Was this the end?

"Thunder explosion!" shouted a voice, and there was a flash of light. Several angels were sent soaring through the air, as the others turned around to face the new intruder. I looked up, squinting slightly. It couldn't be…

Soon, the man had fought his way through the barricade of lifeless beings, using a large double-edged sword. He glanced down at me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher.

"Yuan! Why are you here?" I asked, not sure if I was hallucinating.

"No time for questions. Take this." Yuan reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small object. He tossed it over to me, before turning back to hold off the angels that were starting to approach us.

Blinking in confusion, I stared down at the miracle gel Yuan had given me. I wondered faintly where he'd gotten it, but now was not the time to be ungrateful. I clenched my teeth, pulling the arrow out of my chest, before swallowing the gel whole. Immediately, I felt its effects rush through my body. My wound was healed, as my energy slowly returned. I pushed myself to my feet, not quite meeting Yuan's eyes.

"Thanks." I muttered faintly.

"Rule number one. Never go into battle without a weapon." Yuan replied shortly, swinging his double-edged blade to keep the angels at bay.

"But why are the angels acting like this?" I questioned, observing their blank stares.

"They used to receive their orders directly from Yggdrasill. Now that he's gone, they're working autonomously." Yuan said. Leave it to him to realize things like this.

"Can we give them new orders?" I asked.

"Not without Yggdrasill's clearance. The only way to stop them now, is to strike them down." Yuan raised his blade a bit higher, as the angels approached him once more.

"Strike them down? But they're living beings!" I exclaimed. I didn't feel like murdering an entire race. Especially when it was one we helped to create.

"These things lost their souls a long time ago. Now, they are nothing more than moving corpses." Yuan spat, the disgust very obvious in his voice. "It would be better to end their suffering."

"Very well." I nodded faintly, wondering how we were supposed to take down this many enemies.

"I'll keep them busy, while you summon a Judgment spell." Yuan said, almost like he'd read my mind.

"But… against this many…"

"I'll be fine. Just do it." And with that Yuan headed into battle, knocking down several angels at once.

Not wasting any time, I made my wings appear in a burst of light, and hopped back to a safe distance, assuming a summon stance. Some of the angels followed me with their eyes, calculating whether it would be beneficial to attack me. But a Thunder blade from Yuan made them whip around again.

I closed my eyes in concentration. Judgment attacks always took a long time to charge. Especially when there were this many enemies. But it was our only shot.

"Thunder explosion!"

Lightning crackled dangerously, and the ground shook, as a few more angels fell back. But others quickly took their place, and soon Yuan had disappeared from my sight.

"Indign- Aaargh!"

I halted my spell, trying to look past the barricade of angels to see if Yuan was alright. That scream didn't sound very settling at all.

"Yuan?" I called nervously.

"I told you… I'd be fine!" Yuan's voice came. It sounded slightly strained. "Just finish the damn spell!"

Nodding to myself, I continued summoning. It wouldn't be long now…

"Sacred powers, cast thy purifying light upon these corrupt souls." Magic started to build up around me, causing my hair to stand slightly on end. "Rest in peace, sinners. Judgment!"

Raising one hand to the sky, everything turned dark. Suddenly, rays of light started to rain down, striking the angels where they stood. They all let out unearthly screams that echoed through my mind. Soon, they had all fallen, never to move again.

I sank to my knees, breathing heavily. We'd done it. I'd just eradicated the entire population of Welgaia with one attack. Not that I had any other choice…

Looking up, the only thing I saw were the heaps of unmoving angels. Everything was silent.

"Yuan?"

* * *

((Oh dear... Where did Yuan go? Wait for the epilogue, and find out!)) 


	5. Second Chances

((A/N: 8 reviews? Wow... Thanks everyone! It's epilogue time!))

* * *

Second Chances. 

I listened intently, but heard no response. Slightly worried, I staggered to my feet to get a better view of the battlefield. Judgment attacks weren't supposed to strike your allies, but if Yuan was surrounded by enemies at that moment…

"Yuan!"

Straining my ears, I stepped towards the unmoving bodies. Then, I suddenly heard a muffled scream. It sounded… agonised.

Cursing loudly, I sped to a nearby pile of angels, and started moving them. Yuan had literally been buried under the lifeless beings he despised so much. Just as I moved the last carcass that was lying on top of him, I noticed with a start why he'd screamed. He was lying facedown on the floor, a stain of blood colouring his usually black cloak crimson.

"Oh Gods…" I sighed, kneeling down next to him and moving the cloak away to check on the damage. Yuan made a slight whimpering sound, and tried to push himself up. It didn't seem like he had enough strength left in his arms, however. He'd barely moved two inches before he fell again.

"Don't move." I muttered, trying to keep my voice from shaking as I undid his cracked armour. Apparently, an angel managed to slice right through it. My eyes widened in shock as I removed the armour to see a deep, almost horizontal gash running across Yuan's spine.

The man let out a groan in pain, shivering immensely. It was the first time anyone had ever managed to injure him so severely.

"Shhh. Easy." I placed a soothing hand in his neck, and at the same time started summoning a healing spell. I wasn't near as good as Raine, but it'd have to do.

"First aid."

The wound healed considerably, but it was still visible. Yuan's pulse slowed down, as he stopped shaking. The pain had caused him to pass out.

"First aid." I called again.

This time, it was enough to stop the bleeding. Deciding it would be best to take Yuan to the infirmary, I rolled him over before scooping him up from the ground. He appeared to be deep in dreamland. I still hadn't gotten an answer to how he followed me here. And why…

* * *

"Oh, you're awake?" 

I entered the infirmary an hour later to see Yuan sitting up in his bed. I had bandaged up his injury, before leaving him to get some rest.

"It would appear so." He replied, staring down at his sheets.

"How are you feeling?" I inquired, taking a seat next to the bed.

"I've been better." He grunted.

"Here." I dropped a healing gel in his hand.

"Ahh… You know I despise lemons." He grunted, staring reluctantly at the lemon gel.

"Really? I was sure you loved them." I said with a sly grin.

Yuan growled at me, but swallowed it anyway. Then he closed his eyes with a sigh, leaning back.

"So… You still haven't told me why you're here." I spoke, breaking the peaceful silence.

His eyes immediately snapped open again. Obviously, he'd been fearing I would ask this question.

"You said that you wanted to meet me outside the tower. By the time I'd gotten there, you'd just left. So I… asked Lloyd to send me to Derris-Kharlan too. And it looked like I made it just in time." Yuan smiled weakly, not meeting my eyes.

"But why did you go through all that trouble to follow me? You knew there was no way back to the surface once you'd arrive here." I said with a frown.

"Yes, but… I couldn't let you leave by yourself. And I… wanted to see you again."

Looking down, I noticed his hands were gripping the sheets firmly. He was… struggling to say the right words.

"Yuan…" I murmured softly.

"And even if you do say that it was a mistake, and that it meant nothing to you… That's okay, because…" He looked up at me, sadness filling his eyes. "I'm not asking you to like me."

My heart almost stopped at the sound of that. What had I done? I truly _had_ made a great mistake.

I slowly moved out of the chair I was sitting in, and onto the edge of the bed, putting an arm around him. He seemed slightly startled, but didn't move away.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, pulling him closer. "I shouldn't have said those things. I was… trying to protect you, but I only made things worse."

Yuan didn't reply, staring down at the sheets again. Though I noticed his face had turned slightly red.

"I love you."

I ran a hand through his hair, as a huge burden was lifted off my chest. I'd admitted my feelings to him. Now it didn't matter whether he was drunk or not. I'd left him in the easiest position. He could admit his own feelings, without fearing my response.

"I-I love you too."

I noticed Yuan was still clinging to the sheets nervously, avoiding my gaze. I'd never seen him act like this… It was time to show him I was serious.

Placing a hand under his chin, I forced him to look up at me. He seemed slightly intimidated. Pulling him a bit closer, I pressed my lips onto his. For a fraction of a second he froze, before relaxing in my grip. I pulled away, smiling widely.

"Why are you smirking like that?" he asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Tastes like lemon." I licked my lips in a taunting way, causing him to scowl.

"Bastard." He turned away, crossing his arms.

Snickering slightly, I crawled onto the bed completely, moving on top of him.

"K-Kratos." He turned bright red, glancing up at me. How the tables had turned…

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." I whispered assuringly.

Mistakes can be rectified, lies can be corrected and battles can be forgotten. Because no matter how great the sin, everyone deserves a second chance.

* * *

((I bet you're all never going to look at lemon gels in the same way again. Heeheeheeh. Be sure to leave a review!)) 


End file.
